The Perfect Run

Genome parties were always fun, but the aftermath sucked.

When he returned home to Jamie’s place, Ryan found it in ruins. The floor had been buried underneath beer bottles, pizza boxes, trash, and stuff best left forgotten. Someone had drenched the sofa in a suspicious fluid, and while DJ Brain had survived the apocalypse, a partygoer drew a smiley face on the vat’s surface. Even with repeated time-stop, it was a struggle to clean up the mess.

Ryan was still working on it by the evening.

“Faster, slave!” Ryan’s cruel taskmaster, Lanka, sat on a chair while he cleaned up the sofa with a mop. Ki-jung’s rats looked at the both of them, like viewers watching a comedy movie. “I want to see this sofa shine enough to sit my ass upon.”

“Do you want me to clean your royal butt too while I’m at it, Your Majesty?” Ryan deadpanned.

“No, thank you, I already did my part,” she replied. “You’re the one who skipped town all morning.”

“You’re just mad I was invited to the big guys’ table,” he mocked her back, before hearing his cellphone bleep in his pocket. He took a break from his dirty work to check a message from Jasmine.

JasLove: How do you want your armor?

Ryan started typing his answer.

PlushieTamer: Have you played Fallout?

JasLove: Fallout 1, Fallout 2, Tactics, or Van Buren?

PlushieTamer: You didn’t mention Brotherhood of Steel.

JasLove: That game never existed, and I’ll kill anyone who says otherwise.

PlushieTamer: Good answer. Fallout 2, America for the Enclave.

JasLove: Figured. You’re going to look great killing muties.

PlushieTamer: You and I, and my big plasma cannon...

JasLove: Keep it loaded. Might give it a good polish if you behave.

“You’re texting your girlfriend during work, Blabbermouth?” Lanka said while looking over his shoulder, grinning upon seeing the sender. “Wait, wait, wait, it’s Vulcan’s number!”

“Jealous?” Ryan asked before putting the cellphone in his pocket.

“I’m glad you didn’t commit suicide by going after Livia, but Vulcan? Mad respect. She’s totally going to shoot you one day, but your bravery shall be remembered.”

Technically, she already did shoot him. “Well, I had to work for both of us, since you couldn’t get a date.”

Lanka grinned, sipping a beer. “Where do you think these fluids came from?”

Ryan looked at the sofa, then at the mop, and finally at Lanka, whose grin grew wider. “You know what, I paid my debt to society,” he said, tossing the mop at his flatmate’s face. “Clean your mess yourself.”

“Hey, you lazy ass, get back here!” she complained, trying to get the sticky mop off her face.

Ryan ignored her, moving towards the stereo to unplug his brain in a jar. Ki-jung’s rats left for the kitchen and trailed a towel back to the sofa with their mouths, intending to clean it up themselves. Their mistress was still holed up in her room with her boyfriend, but she might emerge from their lair sometime soon.

Jamie hadn’t believed he had been promoted at first until Livia herself called him to confirm it. After a moment of silence, the swordsman had retired to his room with Ki-jung to ‘discuss’ it, but they had been alone for three hours by now. Ryan was pretty sure there wasn’t a lot of talking involved in this private celebration.

When Jamie and Ki-jung returned to the living room, the rats had cleaned the sofa enough for Lanka to slouch on it. The couple was so close they were almost touching, and Chitter had recovered from yesterday’s breakdown. In fact, she looked so happy that Ryan thought she might ascend to heaven on the spot.

“Something big happened,” the courier said, as he separated the loudspeakers from the brain in a jar. “I can tell.”

“What’s up?” Lanka asked with an eyebrow raised. “Besides changing your names to Mr. and Miss Mercury?”

Ki-jung exchanged a glance with her man, who nodded slowly. “Jamie finally proposed,” she told Lanka, giddy with joy.

Her friend blinked. “No way!”

the rats clapped

accepted?” Lanka asked Ki-jung a

she chuckled. “I want you

For the first time since Ryan met her, the ex-marauder looked speechless and flustered. “But I don’t know shit

with a warm smile, though it wavered a little. “Felix

If he hadn’t raised me up, I would still be

Lanka said with a wide grin. “If anyone

Zanbato replied, torn between joy, pride, and anxiety. He looked so adorable when unsure of himself. “Me, a street rat, ascending to the rank of an Olympian? Becoming

“It’s like sanity, fake it until you

though he clearly had a long way to go. “Still, it’s so big… beyond all the responsibilities

invest in soccer games?”

a tight grip on sports with their Dynacup, but the slums have so many

centers, hospitals…” Ki-jung looked at Ryan. “Even rebuild that orphanage the Meta-Gang

Rust Town.” Ryan shrugged. “That place is the most miserable I’ve

“That’s

know,” she replied, before glancing at Ryan. “You have

the question some

divisions, Augustus probably wouldn’t give a damn if he used funds to create orphanages or charities. Neptune and Livia seemed more interested in developing the family’s empire, and

Bacchus however...

think they would be open to the idea,” Ryan admitted, with a caveat. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with

instantly worsened, and they exchanged a silent glance.

replied, a

seems to hold you in high esteem, from what I’ve heard,” Jamie said. News traveled fast. “But be careful around her. She’s the apple of her father’s eye, and

got to him first,” Lanka said,

mice in the room. “Sorry. Some

between you two,”

declared, warmly putting a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “I don’t know if it will last, but

his brain in a jar to the garage. When he left the main room, the trio were

the guests’ attention. If Lanka had used his backseat for her

place. He opened the door

a faint voice came out

“Hi, Riri.”

was closed, and finally increased the sound. “Len? Is

it’s me. I don’t

had to confirm it.” He had to ask since it was unlike her to make

what to say. The awkwardness

further embarrassment. “How are

place, but they love it. We… we played games. Board games.” She marked a short pause, trying to find her words. “Sarah said

“Are you inviting me?”

“I… maybe.”

big leap forward. Maybe their friendship wasn’t wrecked beyond repair, or the kids’ presence helped Len recover from her self-imposed

the Meta-Gang,” Len changed the subject, “I think you should know.

the bunker.” Ryan put his hands on the wheel. “Have you

true what I heard on the news? You

their suits,” Ryan replied, putting his hands on the warm,

Ryan wondering if she was

happy for you. She’s better than the

voice broke

“Does she know?”

out of the window, and at the garage’s cold walls. “It always ends the same

loyal to Augustus, Vulcan also had a fiery temper, enough to try murdering the courier in a previous loop.

at the end of a loop. Getting too attached

Len said, clearing her throat. “But

up in

by aligning your two selves, right? So